Green Ohio

Ground Broken Near Bowling Green for First Ohio Utility Size 'Wind Farm'; Two Turbines to Be Completed This Year


BOWLING GREEN, Ohio,   -- Green Mountain Energy
Company, American Municipal Power-Ohio (AMP-Ohio) and the City of Bowling
Green today broke ground for the construction of two wind turbines near
Bowling Green, south of Toledo. The "wind farm" is expected to be completed
and generating power by the end of the year. Tied to the electric grid
through a Bowling Green Municipal Utilities substation, this will be the first
utility size wind farm in the state.

Plans call for the wind farm to be built on county-owned land seven miles
west of Bowling Green, along Ohio Route 6, near the Wood County Landfill. It
would consist of two, 1.8 megawatt wind turbines mounted on 257-foot towers
with three, 132-foot blades attached to each unit. At its highest point, the
tip of a blade is taller than a 30-story building. Combined, the units will
generate approximately 6.9 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually --
enough to power approximately 785 homes.

"Green Mountain Energy Company came to Ohio two years ago with a
commitment to make pollution-free generation a reality in Ohio," said Paul
Markovich, the company's senior vice president of U.S. markets. "Utility
grade wind soon will be a reality in Ohio and this is just the beginning."
AMP-Ohio President Marc Gerken called the wind farm a great opportunity
for its member communities. "We are committed to assisting our member
communities in diversifying their generation portfolios. This commitment
includes exploring the increased use of renewable energy resources in the
generation of power. We're very excited about this project."

"This project represents a milestone for the city," Bowling Green Utility
Director Daryl Stockburger said. "In recent years, we have renewed our
dedication to alternative energy sources and environmentally-preferable energy
generation. We are proud to be the host site for Ohio's first utility size
wind farm."

Stockburger also recognized Green Energy Ohio (GEO), which promotes
sustainable energy policies, for sharing the wind testing data it collected
for several years in the Bowling Green area. He said that without GEO's
research, construction of the wind farm would have been delayed at least one
year.

About Green Mountain Energy Company:

Green Mountain Energy Company www.greenmountain.com provides
electricity service generated from sources including wind, solar, water,
geothermal, biomass, and natural gas. More than half a million customers in
California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Texas have chosen Green Mountain Energy(R) electricity -- electricity that is dramatically cleaner than typical system power in those states. The Austin,
Texas-based company was founded in 1997 with a mission to "change the way
power is made."

About AMP-Ohio:
American Municipal Power-Ohio www.amp-ohio.org  is the Columbus, Ohio- based nonprofit wholesale power supplier and services provider for 81 member
municipal electric systems in Ohio, four in Pennsylvania, two in West Virginia
and one in Michigan. The organization provides a diverse mix in its wholesale
generation resources, which in addition to fossil fuel, includes
hydroelectric, landfill gas and distributed generation. Formed in 1971, the
organization is owned and governed by its member communities and is dedicated to providing member assistance and low-cost power supply. In addition, AMP- Ohio serves as the project manager for groups of member municipal electric communities participating in joint ventures to share ownership of generation and transmission facilities.




Wind-Generated Electricity In Ohio's History

Today's wind farm groundbreaking is a second historic event concerning
Ohio and wind powered electricity. In 1898, Cleveland inventor Charles Brush
built the first large-scale wind-powered electricity generator. Born in
Euclid in 1849, Brush was a restless backyard tinkerer and clever
entrepreneur. A child prodigy, by age 15 he had built electrical gadgets,
microscopes and telescopes for school friends.
Brush graduated from the University of Michigan in 1869, with a degree in
mining engineering. He is best remembered for his dynamo and arc lights,
which illuminated a Cincinnati physician's home in 1878 and later, Cleveland
Public Square in 1879. These and more than 50 patented innovations made Brush a wealthy man. His company, Brush Electric Company, merged with other companies that eventually formed General Electric.
Brush constructed his wind-powered turbine behind his Euclid Avenue
mansion. It also may have been his most conspicuous creation. The 60-foot,
40-ton wrought iron tower held the windmill's wheel which measured 56-feet in
diameter, had 144 blades and a sail surface of 1,800 square feet. The tail
was 60 feet long and 20 feet wide. A 20-foot shaft inside the tower turned
pulleys and belts, which at top performance spun a dynamo at 500 revolutions
per minute. The dynamo was connected to 408 batteries in Brush's basement.
These dry cells illuminated 350 incandescent lamps and operated three electric
motors and two arc lights. The whole contraption produced 12 kilowatts at its
peak. The windmill reportedly lasted for 20 years. (Source: Green Energy
Ohio)